Method for flushing toilets and the like



' Oct. 6, 1959 L. RICHARDSON EIAL METHOD FOR FLUSHING TOILETS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 8. 1952 20) 2/ /5 I /2 INVENTOR 053W WW3? BY W ATTORNEY United States Patent METHOD FOR FLUSI-IING TOILETS AND THE LIKE Lawrence Richardson and Walker Scott Richardson, Cambridge, Mass.

Application August 8, 1952, Serial No. 303,218 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-34) The invention relates to a method for flushing toilets and the like, which comprises supplying to the toilet bowl through the same passage multiple discharges of water at predetermined spaced intervals with a single manual impulse, the last discharge being timed to enter the bowl just as the remaining portion of the previous discharge reaches its lowest point, and serving to complete the flushing operation and to discharge all solid material, including floating bits of paper and the like, from the bowl, the total quantity of water employed in the multiple discharges being less than that normally required to completely flush the bowl in a single discharge.

It is a well known fact that water is becoming increasingly scarce in many parts of the'world, including parts of Western and Southwestern United States, and even cities in eastern areas are sometimes troubled with water shortages. It is also well known that the quantity of water used per annum for flushing toilets and the like is tremendous, and if only a fractional portion of the water so used could be saved the aggregate saving would be very large indeed. I

We have discovered that when using ordinary flushing methods, wherein all the water for flushing is discharged at one time, a large portion of the water used is wasted and that only the first and last portions of the discharge are effective in the flushing operation. We have also discovered that by flushing with smaller quantities of water supplied at suitable spaced intervals a large portion of the water normally used can be saved and at the same time the toilet may be completely and efliciently flushed, without leaving any residue of floating paper or other material. a

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of our invention we provide a double acting flush valve which, on the application of a single manual impulse, will discharge water at spaced intervals, the primary discharge serving to eliminate heavier solid material, while the secondary discharge removes floating paper and the like. During the primary discharge paper and other light materials float on the surface of the water and are carried downwardly with the primary discharge but are not entirely eliminated. The second discharge is automatically timed to come just as the remaining portion of the first discharge reaches its lowest point, and said secondary discharge coming on top of the first serves to carry all the paper and other floating material completely out of the toilet. The amount of water which would have flowed through the toilet during the period between discharges, had the flow beencontinuous instead of intermittent, is the amount saved by my method without any loss in the effectiveness of the flushing operation. Any suitable means for effecting multiple discharges of water at timed intervals following a single manual impulse may be employed within the scope of our invention in its broadest aspects. For example, mechanical or electrical timing mechanism may be 2,907,049 Patented Oct. 6, 1959 activated by a single manual impulse, to be followed by multiple flushing operations. While we have found that two main flushing discharges are in general suflicient to accomplish the desired result, it is within the scope of our invention in its broadest aspects to utilize more than two flushing discharges taking place at suitable timed intervals following a single manual impulse.

While, as stated above, many specific embodiments of our invention may be employed within the scope of our invention in its broadest aspects, the invention will be described more in detail by reference to a single specific embodiment which is more or less diagrammatically set forth in the accompanying drawings by way of illustration rather than by way of limitation.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view with parts shown in elevation indicating the multiple acting flush valve which may be used in carrying out our invention, the position shown in Fig. 1 indicating the valve in its normally closed position;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing in full lines the valve parts in position for effecting a primary discharge and showing in dotted lines a head portion of the manual operating rod in a position for momentarily closing oif the flow of water between discharges;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but showing the parts in position for effecting a secondary discharge.

In the drawings we have not illustrated the conventional parts of a toilet including the inlet and outlet pipes and the conventional controls therefor, but have shown only the flush valve embodying our invention which is designed to be incorporated at a suitable location leading to the toilet. In the drawings reference numeral 10 indicates a flush valve housing having a water inlet 11 leading from any suitable source of supply, and an outlet 12 leading to the toilet to be flushed. The

valve housing 10 may be threaded at 13 for attachment to the toilet system andmay be threaded at its opposite end 14 to receive a cap 15 through which extends a manually operable lifting rod 16 which may be provided at its upper end with a suitable lifting member (not shown). Packing means may be provided including a suitable gasket 17, a packing member 18 and a packing gland 19. The lifting rod or stem 16 is enlarged at the lower portion 20 and terminates in a head 21 of substantially larger diameter than the portion 20.

Slidably fitting within the housing 10 is a valve body 22, the upward movement of which is limited by contact with the cap 15 while downward movement is limited by contact of a tapered valve portion 23 with a correspondingly tapered valve seat portion 24 formed in an annular seat member 25 projecting inwardly from the interior of the housing 10 at a position intennediate the inlet and outlet passages 11 and 12 thereof.

As shown, the valve body 22 is annularly recessed at the upper portion thereof at 26 to receive the lower end of a compressed timing spring 27 of predetermined strength which reacts between the valve body and the top 15 of the valve housing and serves to normally force the tapered valve portion 23 against the tapered seat portion 24 so as to prevent flow of water past the valve. The valve body is bored axially at 28 to permit passage of the lifting rod 16 and is counterbored at 29 to permit sliding movement of the enlarged portion 20 of the lifting rod, and also to receive a coil spring 30 which reacts between the top of the enlargement 20 and the valve body at the upper portion of the counterbore 29. The spring 30 is of the compression type and serves to normally project the head 21 at the end of the lifting rod 16 beyond the lower end of the valve body, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 1 and dotted lines in Fig. 2,

and again in full lines in Fig. 3. As will be noted, the diameter of the head 21 is substantially the same as the inner diameter of the annular valve seat member 25. The strength of the spring 30 is predetermined with reference to the strength of the spring 27, but is somewhat stronger than spring 27, and their relative strengths determine the timing of the double acting valve, as will be more readily apparent hereinafter.

As shown, the valve body 22 is provided with an inlet 32 which, when the valve body is raised against the pressure of the spring 27 as shown in Fig. 2, permits water to flow from the main inlet 11 into the chamber 41 above the valve body, and said valve body is also provided with an outlet passage 33 which, when the valve body is in the positions indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, permits water to drain from the chamber 41 through a bypass 34 in the valve housing to the outlet passage 12 below the seat member 25.

The operation of the device will be largely apparent from the foregoing detailed description. The double acting valve in Fig. l is shown in its normal closed position before application of manual lifting means to the rod 16.

When it is desired to flush the toilet the rod 16 is elevated to its full extent to the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 2. During the first part of the lifting movement the head 21 at the end of the rod 16 is moved upwardly against the force of its spring 30 until it comes in contact with the flattened lower end 40 of the valve body 22, whereupon on further upward movement of the rod 16 the valve body is also raised against the force of its spring 27, thus providing free communication between inlet 11 and outlet 12 to permit the primary discharge of water to the toilet. After the rod 16 is raised to its full height it is released, whereupon the spring 30 surrounding the stem 16 forces the head 20 downwardly with reference to the valve body, to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, owing to the fact that the spring 30 is stronger than the spring 27. In the dotted line position the head 21 coacts with the seat member 25 to provide a secondary valve which serves to cut oil the How of water to the outlet for a predetermined interval of time.

As will be noted from Fig. 2 there is no communication between the passage 33 in the valve body and the passage 34 in the valve housing, though there is communication between the high pressure water inlet passage 11 and the passage 32 leading to the chamber 41 above the valve body, so that fluid pressure begins to build up in said upper chamber, which in a predetermined interval of time becomes suflicient, when combined with the strength of the spring 27, to force the valve body downward. As the valve body 22 moves downward the head 21 at the end of the valve stem also moves downward to a position below the seat member 25, and in the interval between the time the head 21 leaves the seat and the inclined face 23 of the primary valve again engages the seat, a secondary discharge of water takes place as indicated in Fig. 3. This secondary discharge is terminated when the inclined surface 23 of the valve body engages the inclined portion 24 of the seat, at which time the parts will have returned to the position shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent that the amount of initial flow of water may be increased, if desired, by manually holding the rod 16 in raised position instead of instantaneously releasing the same as is normally the case.

The invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration but it will be obvious that numerous modifications and variations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim: 7

The method of flushing toilets and the like to completely remove both heavy and light solid materials therefrom, which comprises supplying to the toilet bowl through the same passage multiple discharges of water at predetermined spaced intervals with a single manual impulse, the last discharge being timed to enter the bowl just as the remaining portion of the previous discharge reaches its lowest point and serving to complete the flushing operation and to discharge all remaining solid material from the bowl, the total quantity of water employed in the multiple discharges being less than that normally required by flushing the bowl in a single discharge.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 362,034 North 1 Apr. 26, 1887 443,845 Blessing Dec. 30, 1890 531,212 OConnor et al. Dec. 18, 1894 796,458 Scott Aug. 8, 1905 2,000,297 Putnam May 7, 1935 

